Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day?

1446 – 1506 lands on Watling Island,meets the natives,while three of his shipmates erect a cross. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

1492, Christopher Columbus

1492, Christopher Columbus (1446 – 1506) lands on Watling Island and meets the natives, while three of his shipmates erect a cross. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Since 1937, the second Monday of October has been a federal holiday honoring the 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus. But Seattle, Minneapolis and Portland, Ore. are among the growing list of American cities that officially observe Indigenous Peoples Day instead.

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David Perry, an associate professor of history at Dominican University in Illinois, wrote a piece for CNN about the Italian explorer and how to explain this holiday to children. He joins Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson to discuss what Columbus’ legacy means today and ways to broach topics like colonialism and genocide with kids.